Discovery Corridor Roundtable to explore area’s potential

There’s been a lot of talk about the Discovery Corridor, a stretch of land that has often been described as the biggest potential economic driver of north Clark County.

But with much of that property remaining undeveloped, two organizations are hoping that talk will translate into action.

Bridget Schwarz, president of the Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association, and Chuck Green, chair of the Middle Class Alliance, organized a Discovery Corridor Roundtable discussion at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Clark County Event Center in Exhibition Hall B. The neighborhood association is sponsoring the free event, and Green will moderate.

The event will bring together more than 25 participants, including public utility providers, cities, schools, the Port of Ridgefield, the Cowlitz Tribe and business organizations. There will also be another 50 so-called “active listeners” in the audience, who may play a role in development in the area going forward.

Green said the gathering was borne from a need for action along the corridor.

“If we want this corridor, we need to have somebody step up and be a champion to the community,” Green said.

The area covers either side of Interstate 5 stretching from Washington State University Vancouver at the south to the Cowlitz casino outside of La Center. Stakeholders hope the area will spur economic growth, attracting technology companies, medical device makers, manufacturers and other companies that will build middle-class jobs in the region.

But two economic downturns have slowed growth since the corridor was designated in 1999. When it comes to facilitating development in the area, “the sooner the better” said Mike Bomar, president of the Columbia River Economic Development Council.

“It’s a key area for us in the future,” Bomar said.

Schwarz, who lives along the corridor, is done waiting.

“We need the Silicon Forest,” she said. “It’s time to get us talking.”